Avoid 'specialist' wording without specialist registration and do not overstate a specialty
Ahpra advertising guidelines Specialist wording, stated plainly and cited to the edition held, with the evidence an auditor or the regulator asks for, the common gaps, and a free worksheet to fill in.
Advertising guidelines Specialist wording
Ahpra and the National Boards
Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service, December 2020 edition, effective 14 December 2020
6 October 2026, Ahpra advertising guidelines page read 6 October 2026: still the current edition
Anyone advertising a regulated health service, including a practice owner who is not registered, for occupational therapy, physiotherapy and psychology services.
The printed edition predates the higher penalties for advertising offences: up to 60,000 dollars for an individual and 120,000 dollars for a body corporate, in every jurisdiction from 1 July 2024. The guidelines will be updated when next reviewed.
Without specialist registration, words such as specialist, specialises in, specialty or specialised are likely to mislead, while phrases such as substantial experience in or working primarily in are less likely to. A practitioner who holds specialist registration limits those words to the specialty actually held and does not stretch it into a narrower field.
- Wording guide approved by the practice, listing permitted and prohibited phrases for each practitioner type
- Profile pages checked against each practitioner's registration
- Profile page saying 'specialist' for an area of interest
- General practitioner described as a paediatric specialist
| Ref | Held (yes, partly, no, not applicable) | Where it is kept | Owner | Last reviewed | Next review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specialist wording |
Completing this worksheet records what your practice holds and where. It does not make a practice compliant or ready for audit, and it is not legal advice.
Related requirements
Ahpra advertising guidelines
- Specialist titlesUse specialist and endorsement titles only when held
- TestimonialsDo not use testimonials or purported testimonials in advertising
- Review functionsControl review functions you run and know where responsibility sits
- Title descriptorsAdd descriptive terms to a protected title only where they do not overstate skill or imply a specialty
- Checking advertisingCheck all advertising regularly and read it for overall impression
- Unnecessary useDo not encourage indiscriminate or unnecessary use of services
- QualificationsDescribe qualifications, experience and memberships accurately
- Position titlesUse employment position titles only within their employment context
- Every page of this instrument
The same topic in other instruments (advertising)
- National Law s 113Protected titles only for persons registered in the profession
- National Law s 115Specialist titles only for specialist registrants
- National Law s 116No claims to be a registered health practitioner by unregistered persons
- National Law s 117No claims of registration in a profession or division not held
- Ahpra shared Code of conduct 8.5Advertising
- Psychology Board Code of conduct 8.7Advertising
See every requirement for your practiceSee the specimen practice